The Pickens County Board of Education held a called meeting on Friday.

The Pickens County Board of Education heard a request to consider a school based health clinic and adding paraprofessionals to first grade classrooms in a called session on Friday. Schools were out on Friday due to inclement weather.

“In one academic year, we documented 52,000 clinic visits,” said Kimberly Parker, a registered nurse who was formerly the nursing supervisor for school nurses in Picken’s County. She began researching options to help schools remedy the health care crisis she saw and even though she is no longer working for the schools, she is a parent and lives in Pickens County.

“There is something better we can offer our kids,” she said. Her research led her to discovering school-based clinics that operated year around.

The initiative was awarded a $10,000 grant from Emory University but at 2018, she said they needed to reevaluate but not change the ultimate goal.

“We have the resources,” she said.

Tammy Sorrels, chief executive officer for Good Samaritan, asked the board to consider allowing the community clinic to partner with the schools.

“The county would provide utilities, phone, and internet services,” she said. “Good Samaritan would furnish medical equipment and staff.”

She said the clinic now provides services to all ages, local and outside of Pickens County, and accepts insurance.

Good Samaritan offers medical, dental, behavioral health, and a pharmacy. They recently hired a psychiatric nurse-practitioner. Click here to learn more about Good Samaritan.

Having a school based clinic on site would allow school nurses to refer students to the clinic while at school. She also said the operation hours would be the same as the regular clinic, from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and would be open year around. The clinic would also be available for Pickens County students, family members, and government staff.

Services offered:

• Tests for strep throat
• Flu shots
• Sports physicals
• Tooth and Eye exams
• Scoliosis screenings
• Medicine and check-ups for chronic conditions, like asthma and diabetes
• Counseling for mental health and emotional issues
• Referrals to specialists, if needed
• Help to apply for health insurance

Principals ask for parapros in first grade classrooms

Three elementary school principals asked the board to consider hiring 17 paraprofessionals, one per every first grade classroom, in order to improve reading.

“When placed in appropriate roles, paraprofessionals can influence student learning and there are multiple studies back this up,” said Jennifer Halko, Hill City Elementary principal.

The goal would be to improve literacy skills. She said currently, Pickens County has almost 50-percent of their elementary students proficient in reading.

“This is in line with the state numbers, but we want better for our students,” she said.

Paraprofessionals make $27,288 per year, so the total cost would be $463,896. Currently, paraprofessionals are only in kindergarten classes.

In Pickens County, Halko said, 18-percent of kindergarten students, with paraprofessionals, are not proficient in reading. By the end of first grade, 32-percent of students are not proficient. The percentage drops a bit for overall first through third graders. Twenty-nine percent of first through third graders are not proficient in reading.

“It’s unacceptable,” she said.

“Everyone of you on the board have said you want to see academics improve at a faster rate,” said Charles Webb, Ph. D., interim superintendent. “We have that potential. I believe we have the resources to be among the top 10-percent of the state and this is one way to get there. We have a lot to think about.”

In other board news

The board voted to not make up the day of school missed on Friday due to inclement weather.